HSE Policy

and Standards

HSE Policy and Standards

Since Syngenta was created in

2000, we have always placed the
highest importance on Health,
Safety and the Environment
(HSE) and on eliminating all
incidents and injuries.
As a result, we have a strong industryleading performance record in HSE.
I personally take great pride in this
collective achievement and I hope you
do too.
However, our continued success is
not assured. Our families and the
communities in which we operate
rely on us to continue to maintain the
highest standards of HSE.
Strong HSE practices are central to
the way we operate and meeting the
Syngenta HSE Standards is therefore a
core responsibility of every leader in

our company. However, we can only

fully achieve a safe and healthy working
environment throughout our company
if every employee, in every location,
also takes personal responsibility for
meeting our HSE Standards.
This booklet sets out those Standards.
Please take time to read them
thoroughly and ensure that you
understand exactly what is required of
everyone. If you have any questions
about HSE or this booklet, please
discuss them further with your manager.
If each of us fulfils our responsibility for
meeting the Syngenta HSE Standards,
we can come to work, confident in the
knowledge that we are doing everything
possible to provide a safe and healthy
working environment for all.
Mike Mack
Chief Executive Officer

HSE Policy and Standards

HSE Policy
and Standards
Contents
Overview.......................................................... 4
HSE Responsibilities.........................................5
The Syngenta HSE Policy
Our commitment to managing
HSE responsibly...............................................6
The Syngenta HSE Standards
Key steps to be taken by line managers
and employees to ensure the HSE Policy
is successfully implemented.............................8
1

Risk Management.....................................8

Objectives and Improvement Plans.........10

Management and Resources..................11

4 Training and Development.......................12

5 Occupational Health................................13
6 Safety......................................................14
7 Environment............................................15
8 Emergency Preparedness.......................16
9 Reporting.................................................17
10 Audit and Assurance...............................18
11 Communication and Consultation...........19
Further information..........................................20

HSE Policy and Standards

Overview

The Syngenta Purpose and Values and

Code of Conduct give a clear statement
of our commitment to Health, Safety
and the Environment (HSE).
As a leading global company
committed to sustainable agriculture,
we have a responsibility to protect the
environment, and to ensure the health
and safety of our employees, customers
and the communities in which we
operate. Our HSE performance also
plays a key part in developing and
protecting our reputation with all our
stakeholders.
This booklet outlines our HSE Policy
and sets out the Standards of HSE
expected throughout Syngenta, and
outlines what needs to be done to
achieve them.

HSE Responsibilities

After reading the HSE Policy and

Standards you will understand what you
should expect from Syngenta and what
Syngenta expects from you, to help
meet our stated HSE aims.

Syngenta Executive
Committee (SEC)
The SEC has the overall responsibility
for ensuring HSE performance across
the entire company.

Employees
All employees must take personal
responsibility and co-operate in
preventing harm to themselves,
others and the environment.

The HSE Policy and Standards are the

basis for the effective management
of HSE in Syngenta. More detailed
information is provided in the HSE
Codes of Practice and Guidance and
in addition, Syngenta employs HSE
experts to provide support locally and
centrally. Information on Codes of
Practice, Guidance and HSE contacts
can be found on the Global HSE
intranet site on mySyngenta.

Syngenta Group Companies

The board and leadership of
each Syngenta Group Company
are responsible for establishing,
implementing and monitoring the
HSE Policy for the Syngenta Group
Company, consistent with local laws
and the HSE Standards.

HSE Function
The HSE function is responsible
for advising on how the HSE Policy
and HSE Standards are to be met,
regular reporting to the SEC and
the development and direction of
professional HSE experts.

http://global22.pro.intra/globalhseq

Managers
Syngenta managers are responsible for
implementing the HSE Policy and the
HSE Standards.

A list of key HSE contacts can be found at

http://global22.pro.intra/globalhseq/en/
Contacts

HSE Policy and Standards

The Syngenta HSE Policy

Syngenta policy is to ensure the

responsible management of all its
activities from product invention to
use and beyond. Excellence in HSE
performance is essential to this
policy and Syngenta will:
be a responsible corporate member
of society committed to continuous
improvement in HSE
l provide a safe and healthy work
environment for all employees
l minimize environmental impact and
optimize the use of natural resources
l meet or exceed regulations, legal
requirements and international
agreements
l ensure HSE considerations are
integrated into all activities
l develop a culture which encourages
employees to take personal
responsibility for HSE
l

openly communicate HSE

performance and enter into
dialogue with interested parties
l aim to eliminate all incidents
and injuries
l

This policy has been adopted by the

Board of Directors and applies to all
employees and all activities. Compliance
with the policy is mandatory.

HSE Policy and Standards

Syngenta HSE Standards

1
Risk Management
These HSE Standards support the
HSE Policy and apply throughout
Syngenta. They outline the key
steps that all managers need to
take to ensure that the HSE Policy
is successfully implemented.

Syngenta manages its HSE risks

to acceptable levels. The level of
acceptable risk is determined by
relevant laws, expectations of the
company, our employees and the
communities in which we operate.

Planning
1 Risk Management
2 Objectives and
Improvement Plans

Regular assessments must be

conducted on health, safety,
environment, and security risks,
and steps taken to control them
to an acceptable level.

Preparing
3 Management and Resources
4 Training and Development
Implementing
5 Occupational Health
6 Safety
7 Environment
8 Emergency Preparedness
Monitoring
9 Reporting
10 Audit and Assurance

Risk assessment
The risks associated with any new
activity, or change to an existing
activity must be assessed before it is
undertaken. All risks must be reviewed
at appropriate intervals.

Follow these key steps:

l identify the hazards
l identify who or what might be
harmed and how
l estimate the scale of each risk
based on severity and likelihood
l control risk to an acceptable level
l regularly review risk assessments to
ensure that they are still valid
l look ahead the full consequences
of risk may take months or years
to appear
l make a written record of the findings
Those involved in risk assessment must
have sufficient experience to make
valid judgments. If in doubt seek advice
from the relevant HSE professional (see
Further Information page 20).

Risk management
When making risk decisions:
l act quickly when an unacceptable
risk is recognized
l consult the relevant experts
l decide what precautions or controls
need to be in place to reduce the risk
to an acceptable level
l ensure everyone involved knows
how to implement and maintain the
required precautions and controls
l review decisions to ensure they
remain valid
l use incident investigations to improve
risk management assumptions and
judgments

Communicating
11 Communication and Consultation

HSE Policy and Standards

2
Objectives and
Improvement Plans
It is essential that all HSE improvement
activities are based on an assessment
of the need, and undertaken in
priority order.
Annually, all site/locations
must set HSE objectives and
prepare improvement plans.
Progress towards the delivery
of the objectives must be
reviewed regularly.
HSE objectives must be based on:
l the business strategy and plans for
the site/location concerned
l Syngenta HSE Policy and Standards
l relevant legal or regulatory
requirements
l key HSE issues identified locally or
from appropriate benchmarking

10

3
Management and
Resources
Improvement plans must specify:
l each target, and why it is important
l how the targets and objectives will
be delivered
l the key performance indicators to
be measured
l a timescale for delivery
l the person responsible
l the resources required

Accountability for HSE performance lies

with managers, and is a key indicator of
a managers performance.
Managers must implement the HSE
Policy and Standards. In doing this
the responsibility and authority of
people undertaking activities on
their behalf must be defined and
appropriate resources provided.
The HSE professionals who provide
direction and support to managers
are accountable for the standard
of their professional competence
and advice.
Managers must:
l visibly demonstrate their commitment
to the HSE Policy and Standards
l create the right culture by
demonstrating personal leadership
and acting as role models
l have appropriate skills, experience,
and knowledge to successfully
implement the HSE Policy and
Standards

communicate the HSE Policy and

Standards to all employees

provide strong leadership alignment

with the HSE objectives to ensure
activities under their control meet the
HSE Policy and Standards
l manage performance against clear
operating standards
l take decisive and appropriate
action when operating standards
are not met
l ensure that HSE matters are
considered in all relevant
business decisions
l recognize and reward performance
which positively reinforces the HSE
Policy and Standards
l

11

HSE Policy and Standards

4
Training and
Development

5
Occupational
Health

Appropriate and regular training ensures

that all employees understand the HSE
Policy and Standards, and can carry out
their work with due regard to health and
safety and without causing damage to
the environment.

Promoting and enhancing the health of

employees is vital. Occupational Health
is the activity aimed at the promotion of
the physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers in all occupations by
preventing ill health, managing health
risks and adapting work to people.

The training needs of employees

must be identified. Employees
must receive appropriate HSE
training and regular refresher
training. Records of HSE training
must be maintained.
Training must enable employees to:
l understand the hazards and risks of
the activities they undertake
l consistently follow the required
procedures both for normal
operations and abnormal occurrences
l continually improve the HSE culture of
their workplace

12

Steps must be taken to prevent ill

health, promote good health and
address any changes to the health
status of employees.
Preventing ill health
Health risks must be assessed
and managed to prevent
occupational illness.
Risks to consider include those
arising from:
l contact with hazardous chemicals
l contact with biological agents
l exposure to physical hazards
(such as noise or radiation)
l poor ergonomics
l work related stress

If an assessment shows that any hazard

poses an unacceptable risk, steps must
be taken to reduce it immediately.
Promoting good health
The need for programs to promote
employee health must be carefully
considered, and where the need is
demonstrated such programs should
be developed.
Programs must be:
l sensitive to local cultures
l tailored to the needs of employees
at each site/location
Addressing changes in
health status
Employees must undergo a medical
review if they become temporarily or
permanently unable to do their normal
work. Steps must be taken to allow
them to come back to work when they
are well enough, with either temporarily
or permanently restricted work activities
as appropriate.

13

HSE Policy and Standards

6
Safety
Syngenta has the responsibility to
ensure that people can undertake
their work without risk of injury to
themselves or others.
Steps must be taken to prevent
incidents and injuries, improve
safety performance, and to
manage the consequences of
safety incidents.
Preventing incidents and injuries
l identify the hazards associated
with work that could lead to incident
or injury
l carry out an assessment of the risks
arising from these hazards
l reduce any unacceptable risk
immediately
l put clear and appropriate procedures
and controls in place to ensure the
safe operation of each site/location

14

7
Environment
Managing the consequences of
safety incidents
l ensure that adequate resources are
available to deal with any reasonably
foreseeable incident
Improving safety performance
l timely and systematic review of
safety performance
l identify the root causes of incidents
and take steps to stop them
happening again
l investigate safety incidents and share
the learning

Actively promoting environmental

protection is an integral part of how
Syngenta runs its business. Syngenta
is committed to operating in a
sustainable manner, minimizing
environmental impact and optimizing
the use of natural resources.
Steps must be taken to prevent
pollution, promote conservation
and address problems from past
operations.
Environmental performance must
be carefully monitored in key areas
and steps taken to improve it.
Preventing pollution
l identify the activities, products and
services which pose a significant risk
to the environment
l carry out an appropriate assessment
of the environmental impact
l mitigate environmental impacts if an
assessment shows that any hazards
pose an unacceptable risk

Promoting conservation
All reasonable steps must be taken to
promote the conservation of natural
resources, covering:
l energy efficiency
l greenhouse gas reduction
l waste reduction
l pollution prevention
l water conservation
Addressing problems from
past operations
Each site/location must be
assessed to establish whether any
previous operations have caused
environmental liabilities.
Remediation programs must be
agreed at regional/corporate level.

15

HSE Policy and Standards

1 A Syngenta employee is defined as any person,

including third party contractors, directly
supervised or managed by a Syngenta manager.
2 See Further Information page 20 for how to access
the HSE Performance Reporting Code of Practice
which contains the definitions of significant and
severe incidents.

8
Emergency
Preparedness
The likelihood of an emergency
occurring is greatly reduced by good
management practices. Preparation
for an emergency is essential to
minimize damage to people, assets,
communities, the environment, and the
reputation of Syngenta.
All reasonably foreseeable
emergencies, including transport
emergencies, must be identified.
Detailed plans and procedures for
dealing with such emergencies
must be developed at each site/
location. These plans must be
regularly tested.

9
Reporting
In advance of any emergency,
managers at a global, regional,
and site/country level must:
l establish a team to manage
emergencies
l identify individual roles and
responsibilities for members of
these teams
l provide sufficient human and material
resources for the team
l be clear as to when and how to
escalate between local, regional,
and global teams

Active reporting assists with reducing

the frequency or recurrence of incidents.
HSE data are used to track performance,
monitor trends, identify issues and
allocate resources. In addition, the most
significant data are communicated to
internal and external stakeholders.
All Syngenta sites/locations must
have systems in place to enable
the investigation and reporting of
HSE incidents.
What to report
All HSE incidents relating to Syngenta
employees1 or business activities must
be reported and investigated at the
site/location concerned. This includes
driving on company business and
transportation incidents.
Those incidents that are defined as
being significant or severe2 must be
reported centrally.
Details of each incident must be
provided, including:
l the type of incident

16

l
l

a description of the cause

corrective actions taken

The learning from the investigation

of incidents must be shared as
appropriate.
When to report
Severe incidents must be reported
within 24 hours to the relevant line
manager and/or HSE leader.
These include:
l incidents classified as emergencies
l notification of prosecution,
improvement orders or fines
All significant HSE incidents must
be reported in the HSE performance
reporting tool on a monthly basis.
Key additional environmental
performance data must be reported
annually in the Syngenta Environmental
Reporting tool.
A list of key HSE contacts can be found at
http://global22.pro.intra/globalhseq/en/
Contacts

17

HSE Policy and Standards

10
Audit and
Assurance
Auditing and Assurance enables
line management to monitor the
implementation of the HSE Policy
and Standards and to identify areas
for improvement.
All Syngenta sites/locations
must undertake an annual review
of the effectiveness of their
HSE management system and
HSE performance.
Audit Process
The frequency and content of audits
will differ depending on their scope.
In all cases:
l audits must be conducted to
demonstrate compliance with HSE
Policy and Standards and specific
HSE management systems
l the finding of the audits must be
followed up
l corrective action must be taken where
improvement is required

18

11
Communication and
Consultation
Assurance Process
Annual reviews of HSE risks in each
site / location must be undertaken. An
annual HSE Letter of Assurance must
be produced. The purpose of the HSE
Letter of Assurance is for each manager
to take personal accountability for
understanding and controlling risks and
internal / external compliance in their
area of responsibility and to assure their
line manager accordingly.
The letter of assurance will cover:
l a review of HSE risks
l local performance
l compliance with relevant
legal requirements
l compliance with Syngenta
HSE Policy and Standards
l progress against HSE
improvement plans

The sharing of information is essential

in a learning organization to ensure
people understand their roles and
are engaged in what they are doing.
HSE is an integral part of this and
information regarding HSE objectives
and performance needs to be widely
communicated.
Systems must be established to
enable effective communication with
employees, contractors, suppliers,
customers, local communities,
neighbors and regulators.
The HSE Policy and Standards must be
communicated to all staff.
Regulatory changes must be monitored
and regulators engaged during the
development and implementation of
HSE related legislation.
There must be regular consultation
and communication with staff to
promote involvement in improvement
programs, and provide updates on
any relevant changes.

Employees must:
l be informed about the hazards of
materials, processes and activities with
which they work or come into contact
l understand the systems and
requirements that are necessary for
them to operate without harming
themselves or the environment
l be encouraged to participate in
an open and constructive dialogue
and culture to manage HSE, and
to establish and communicate
good practice
Managers must:
l assess progress in meeting
HSE Policy, Standards, objectives
and targets
l ensure that HSE performance is
reported monthly
l get approval for an annual HSE Letter
of Assurance submission by the next
level of management

19

HSE Policy and Standards

Further Information

Additional documents are available to

support the implementation of HSE
Policy and Standards in particular areas
of the business.
HSE Codes of Practice provide
information on specific HSE issues.
These are designed to help achieve
HSE objectives.
l HSE Guidance provides advice as to
how a particular HSE subject could
be addressed.
l

Dedicated HSE professionals are

available throughout the company to
provide advice and support.
Information on all of the above
including key HSE contacts is available
on the Global HSE intranet site on
mySyngenta.
http://global22.pro.intra/globalhseq

20

21

 Syngenta International AG
Basel, Switzerland.
All rights reserved.

Design: Red Letter Design

The HSE Policy and Standards are available
in several languages. The English version
prevails in case of contradictions.
Publication date: December 2008
Ref: 11143